Sayeth the Preacher

I am not a religious person, but I have read the Bible many times.  I think the Bible, if approached critically, offers many insights into what makes people the way they are.  It is also a book full of stupidity and superstitious nonsense, but I guess you have to take the good with the bad.

One of my favorite books of the Bible is the Book of Ecclesiastes.  This is a book that any Greek philosopher could be proud of, and I often return to it when I am feeling sad, confused, or just wondering where life is taking me.  The Book of Ecclesiastes has offered me a lot of comfort over the years, and it is to this book, along with Marcus Aurelius's "Meditations" that I most of look for wisdom.

My favorite quote from Ecclesiastes has to be:

"Of making books there is no end, and in much study there lies a weariness of flesh."

I can relate to this quote because I have been, for much of my life, a writer of stories.  No, I'm not famous, and no, I've probably never written anything you've heard of, but I have been published a few times, and I am always glad when someone reads something I wrote and gets something out of it.  That is one of the things I live for.

But of course, every story written is only a link in a great chain, and this chain has no end apart from that ultimate end: death.  So I have to remind myself to calm down sometimes, and not regard anything I write as the last thing I will ever write.  I am still learning, and hopefully I improve with each thing I write, but every story is only ever part of a sequence.

The second part of this quote, regarding study, also applies to me.  I have been a student for much of my life, and even though I am a teacher now, there are also times when I must study.  I remind myself that my capacity for study has limits, and it is better not to exceed these limits.  When I first came to Taiwan, for example, I studied Chinese HARD.  I had to learn how to not study so hard, if for no other reason than that life is about balance, and too much study is never good.  Yes, there are times when cramming is justified, but even cramming should be done in moderation.

I have read the Book of Ecclesiastes in English, Latin, and Chinese.  If you ask me, it is a fantastic piece of literature, and well worth your time.  Perhaps those looking for neat, easy answers to the questions of life will not like it, but for me it has been a good companion, of many years' acquaintance.